DHEA-S

DHEA-S declines roughly 2 to 3 percent per year after the third decade. By age 70 most men sit at 20 to 30 percent of their peak twenties values, a phenomenon often labeled adrenopause. Low DHEA-S in a younger man, especially below the 25th percentile for age, frequently flags chronic stress, overtraining, opioid use, hypothalamic suppression, or primary adrenal insufficiency rather than normal aging. Observational data link low DHEA-S to higher all-cause mortality in men over 50, reduced bone density, depressed mood, lower muscle mass, and impaired immune function, though causality is unsettled. Interventional trials of oral DHEA replacement in older adults have shown modest improvements in libido, mood, and lean mass in some cohorts and no effect in others; the FDA has not approved DHEA as a treatment for age-related decline, and exogenous DHEA is sold as a supplement rather than a regulated drug in the US. For most men the highest-leverage interpretation is as a stress and recovery biomarker rather than a replacement target. A DHEA-S that drops 30 percent over a year of heavy training and inadequate sleep is meaningful information, even when the absolute number stays within the laboratory reference range.